Membrane action in lateral restraint reinforced concrete slabs

Abstract

Based on the assumption of additional three-hinge arching action, an analytical method was proposed to predict the additional load of lateral restraint reinforced concrete (RC) slab under compressive membrane action (CMA), and its ultimate load could be obtained by adding pure bending load. The experiment of twelve one-way RC slabs supported by shear-walls was carried out, and the calculations of this proposed method provide good predictions for the experimental evidences. The influence of some design parameters on bearing capacity was also investigated. It is shown that the effect of vertical load on ending shear-wall on the ultimate load capacity can be generally neglected when the bending restraint is satisfied. The additional load capacity also decreases with the increase of the span-to-height ratio of central slab. When reducing the reinforcement area, the additional load capacity is increased, and this method can be used to save steel or enhance the ultimate load capacity of low steel ratio slab.

Keywords

lateral restraint slab / compressive membrane action / ultimate load capacity / span-to-height ratio